Torres del Paine: 5-Day Trek with Camping and Grey Glacier Navigation
This is a guided five-day trek across Torres del Paine National Park, sleeping in camps along the trail, with the three classic landmarks — Base of the Towers, the French Valley and Grey Glacier — plus a boat trip on Grey Lake at the end. It suits fit hikers who want the full multi-day experience with the logistics handled for them, from €1,642 (the current price is always in the booking box — checked August 2026).
Trek the park's classic multi-day route over five days, reaching Mirador Base las Torres below the three granite towers
Walk into the French Valley, with its hanging glaciers and lagoons along the way
Take a catamaran trip on Grey Lake for a close view of Grey Glacier
Sleep inside the park with meals provided — breakfast, lunch box and dinner on trekking days
About this tour
Over five consecutive days you walk the park's signature route between its eastern and western ends. The operator handles transport from and back to Puerto Natales, the park entrance fees, accommodation in camps inside the park, and meals — breakfast, a lunch box on the trail and dinner. That bundle matters here more than in most places: campsites and refuges on this route must be booked in advance with the two authorized concessionaires (Las Torres Patagonia and Vértice Patagonia, per the park's official reservation rules), and in high season they fill up months ahead.
## What the five days look like
The operator's day-by-day description starts in Puerto Natales, enters the park and climbs through the Ascencio Valley to Mirador Base las Torres on day one — the viewpoint below the three granite towers, above a glacial lake. Day two follows the shore of Lake Nordenskjöld. The listing's highlights cover the rest of the route: the French Valley with its hanging glaciers and lagoons, then Grey Lake, where a catamaran trip brings you close to Grey Glacier before the return to Puerto Natales. The operator publishes the full itinerary on the booking page; days can be reordered or shortened when weather closes a section.
## Who it suits — and who it should avoid
This is for hikers who are comfortable walking long stages on five consecutive days, with steep, rocky ground on the approach to the towers and into the French Valley. You sleep in camps, not hotels, and the operator lists tent, sleeping bag and camping mattress as optional add-ons rather than standard inclusions — one detail worth noting: the highlights mention refuges while the inclusions say camps, so confirm the exact sleeping arrangement for your date before you book. The operator states the trek is not suitable for children under 12, pregnant women, people with mobility impairments or people with heart problems. If five straight days is more than you want, day trips into the park from Puerto Natales cover single highlights without the camping.
## The weather runs the show
Patagonian wind is not a footnote. Chile's weather service (DMC) has measured ten-minute average winds of up to 74 km/h at its Puerto Natales station, with gusts higher still, and when that happens, catamaran sailings on Grey Lake stop and exposed trail sections close without notice. A serious operator will reroute or cut a stage rather than push through — build that flexibility into your expectations, and don't book onward travel tight against day five. The trekking season for this route is effectively the summer season (October to April): CONAF restricts the W circuit in winter, and in 2026 it was closed to hikers in June and July except with accredited operators holding a specific authorization.
## Booking this package vs organizing the W yourself
The honest comparison is with doing the same route independently. Self-organizing is cheaper: you book the campsites yourself with the two concessionaires, buy your park pass on pasesparques.cl (CLP 48,500 for a foreign adult multi-day pass under the official 2026 tariff) and carry your own food or buy meals at the refuges. The trade-offs are real, though: reservations open early and sell out, the paperwork is split across two companies, and if weather forces a change you re-plan alone. The package costs considerably more and locks you to a group pace and schedule — but everything above is someone else's problem, and a guide makes the weather calls. If you are an experienced trekker booking many months ahead, independent is the better value; if you want the route without the admin, this is what you are paying for.
Itinerary
Typical itinerary for this tour — in Torres del Paine the weather is the itinerary: Patagonian wind, rain or snow regularly close a trail or a boat crossing without notice, so no viewpoint and no sailing is promised. Check the booking box for the day-by-day details.
Day 1 — Puerto Natales to the Base of the Towers
Transfer from Puerto Natales into the park, then trek up the Ascencio Valley through forest and rocky slopes to Mirador Base las Torres, the viewpoint below the three granite towers and their glacial lake, per the operator's day-by-day description.
Day 2 — Along Lake Nordenskjöld
The operator's itinerary continues along the shore of Lake Nordenskjöld, linking the towers sector with the central part of the route. Full stage details are on the booking page.
Mid-trek — The French Valley
The listing's highlights include the hike into the French Valley, with hanging glaciers and lagoons. Exact day and turnaround point depend on the operator's itinerary and the weather.
Final days — Grey Lake, the glacier and the return
The route ends at the western side of the circuit with a catamaran trip on Grey Lake for a close view of Grey Glacier, followed by the return transfer to Puerto Natales. Sailings depend on wind conditions.
Essential information
Included
- Transportation from and to Puerto Natales
- Entrance fees to Torres del Paine National Park
- Catamaran trip on Grey Lake for the glacier views
- Accommodation in camps inside the park
- Meals as per itinerary (breakfast, lunch box and dinner)
- Tent, sleeping bag and camping mattress — listed by the operator as optional add-ons
- Personal trekking equipment — listed by the operator as an optional add-on
Not included
- Travel insurance — arrange your own cover
- Tips for guides and crew
- Drinks and snacks beyond the meals listed in the itinerary
What to bring
- A windproof, waterproof outer layer, whatever the month. The park's official advice is to carry layers of clothing "to withstand rain, wind and/or snow" in any season, and Chile's meteorological service (DMC) records a predominant wind of about 28 km/h at Puerto Natales, with ten-minute average winds — not gusts — measured at up to 74 km/h.
- Warm layers under the shell. At the DMC station in Puerto Natales the thirty-year monthly mean is 11.8°C in January, the height of summer, and 1.3°C in July — and the July mean of the monthly minima is -4.5°C. Inside the park, higher and more exposed, it is colder still.
- Proper hiking boots, even on a vehicle-based day. The trail to the Base of the Towers is steep, rough and long enough that CONAF requires a guide on it for a large part of the year, and every viewpoint you step out to is on uneven, wind-blasted ground.
- Your park entry ticket, bought in advance. Unless your listing says entry is included, you buy it yourself on pasesparques.cl, the official CONAF platform, at least 24 hours before entering; a foreign adult pays CLP 32,400 for a single day or CLP 48,500 for two or more days (official 2026 park tariff).
- Sun protection — sunglasses, sunscreen, a hat that stays on in wind. The hours outdoors are long, the light is strong, and there is very little shade at the viewpoints.
- Water and snacks for the day. Where these listings itemise food at all, most exclude it, and inside the park there is nowhere to buy anything between stops.
- Your passport. Tours from El Calafate cross the Argentina–Chile border, and everywhere else it is the document your park ticket and hotel pick-up are checked against.
Inclusions are summarised from the operator listing — always verify the full list in the live booking box.
Important information
Weather is the itinerary. Boat sailings and trails are shortened, swapped or closed without notice for wind: the park's own advice warns that Patagonian weather "changes rapidly" and to expect rain, wind and/or snow in any season, and the DMC has measured ten-minute average winds of up to 74 km/h at Puerto Natales. No stop, no sailing and no view is promised on this site.
CONAF's rules are strict and enforced. Any open flame is banned under Ley 20.653, with fines of up to CLP 2,000,000; recreational drones are banned, and offenders are expelled from the park and reported to the DGAC; hikers must register at every ranger station (guardería) they pass, and walking trails after dark is prohibited (official park regulations).
Winter runs by its own rulebook. An official regulation for winter hiking applies every year from 1 May to 30 September, with accredited guides mandatory on the mountain trails; in 2026 the W circuit is closed from 1 June to 31 July except Base Torres with a certified guide, and the O circuit stays closed until 31 October (park and CONAF announcements).
Daylight swings hard at this latitude. Around the summer solstice the day is roughly 16 h 37 min long; around the winter solstice it is 7 h 59 min — the same tour in winter runs on half the light, and start times shift with it.
Prices shown here are GetYourGuide "from" prices in euros, read in August 2026: the cheapest date and option on the listing at that moment. Your date can cost more, and the price in the booking box is the one that binds.
What the operator says is the operator's claim. Group sizes, durations, pick-up points and inclusions are repeated here from the listing and attributed to it — they are not our own verification. Inclusions, minimum age and cancellation terms are binding only as printed in the booking box for your date.
Wind and weather can close Grey Lake sailings and trail sections without notice — the itinerary may be reordered or shortened, and the glacier navigation is never guaranteed on a fixed day.
The operator lists this trek as not suitable for children under 12, pregnant women, people with mobility impairments or people with heart problems.
The operator's packing list names warm clothing, hiking shoes, sunscreen and water; tent, sleeping bag and camping mattress are listed as optional add-ons, so confirm what you need to bring or rent when booking.
The listing mentions camps in the inclusions and refuges in the highlights — ask the operator which applies to your departure before you book.
Park entrance fees are listed as included, so you do not need to buy your own pass on pasesparques.cl for this trek — independent hikers do, at least 24 hours before entering.
Check dates & prices
Live availability & pricesFrequently asked questions
How fit do I need to be for this trek?
Fit enough to walk long stages on five consecutive days, including steep, rocky ground on the approach to the towers and into the French Valley. The operator states it is not suitable for people with mobility impairments or heart problems, so treat it as a demanding multi-day trek, not a series of easy walks.
What do I need to bring?
The operator's list names warm clothing, hiking shoes, sunscreen and water. Tent, sleeping bag and camping mattress appear as optional add-ons rather than standard inclusions, and personal trekking equipment can also be added as an option — confirm exactly what is provided for your departure when you book.
What happens if the weather turns bad?
Expect changes. Chile's weather service (DMC) has measured ten-minute average winds of up to 74 km/h at its Puerto Natales station, with gusts higher still, and when conditions are bad the Grey Lake catamaran stops sailing and exposed trail sections close without notice. The guide can reorder or shorten stages, and the glacier navigation is not guaranteed on a fixed day.
Is the park entrance fee included, or do I buy it myself?
The operator lists park entrance fees as included, so you do not need to buy a pass yourself for this trek. For reference, independent hikers buy a multi-day pass on pasesparques.cl (CLP 48,500 for foreign adults under the official 2026 tariff) at least 24 hours before entering.
Can children join this trek?
No. The operator states the trek is not suitable for children under 12, and also excludes pregnant women. For families with younger children, single-day tours into the park are the realistic alternative.
